72nd Governor of Virginia gives State of the Commonwealth speech

The 72nd Governor of Virginia made his State of the Commonwealth speech Monday evening.

Governor Terry McAuliffe, the former National Democratic chairman and chief fundraiser for Bill and Hillary Clinton, called for a non-partisan redistricting of legislative boundaries that keeps communities intact.

He also talked about what he learned from voters on the campaign trail concerning unemployment, traffic issues and the Standards of Learning tests.

The governor said he plans to make changes to the SOLs.

"I am optimistic that we can reform the SOLs in a way that maintains our high education standards, while encouraging innovation and creativity in the classroom," said Gov. McAuliffe.

McAuliffe also addressed the economy and the issues Virginians are currently facing.

"An aging infrastructure, rising health care costs, a state workforce close to retirement and, most significantly, growing economic competition from abroad," said McAuliffe. "In order to meet those challenges, we must grow and diversify our economy so our future is driven by Virginia entrepreneurs."

Governor McAuliffe went on to say that he wants to see a focus on education and workforce training in cutting edge fields.

The governor also said preserving Virginia's natural resources -- such as the parks, mountains, beaches and historical resources -- is among his highest priorities.